Mar. 11, 2016, 1:44 p.m.

Tim Donnelly leaves the polling place at Lake Arrowhead Country Club after casting his vote in June 2014 during his unsuccessful bid for governor. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Former Assemblyman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly is returning to politics to launch a last-minute bid against Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley).

Donnelly filed papers Thursday to run in California's 8th Congressional District, which stretches hundreds of miles along the Nevada border from Mono Lake south to Victorville in the Inland Empire.

Donnelly, a conservative tea party favorite who lives in Twin Peaks near Lake Arrowhead, called out Cook as an "establishment" congressman in a statement Friday. He slammed Cook for voting to pass a federal budget in December that did not include a rider bill suspending the admission of new refugees from Syria and Iraq to the U.S.

Mar. 18, 2016, 5:34 p.m.

Rep. Pete Aguilar speaks at an interfaith prayer vigil at the Islamic Center of Redlands two weeks after the fatal shooting in San Bernardino that killed 14. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

If Donald Trump or Ted Cruz is at the top of the ticket for the Republican Party come November, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) can take a bit of a breather.

A new analysis by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which handicaps U.S. House races, shows seats held by Aguilar, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) were upgraded from "likely" to "solid" Democratic seats, thanks to their heavy Latino population.

Cook defines "likely" seats as those that are not currently competitive but that have the "potential to become engaged."

Mar. 18, 2016, 9:05 a.m.

Few would have ever predicted that California, one of the most reliably Democratic states in presidential politics, would play a major role in the 2016 contest on the Republican side.

And yet, that's exactly what looks to be in store come June 7.

On this week's California Politics Podcast, we take a closer look at the fascinating inside dynamics of how Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich may be clamoring for delegates in some of the most politically liberal parts of the Golden State.

Mar. 17, 2016, 1:29 p.m.

The General Services Administration will remind government agencies that federal regulations allow employees to use ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft on government trips.

The General Services Administration "will continue to monitor trends in the travel industry, including the use" of ride-sharing services, Associate Administrator Lisa A. Austin wrote. “These trends can lead to opportunities for the government to take advantage of new technology and innovation that will increase efficiency and avoid costs.”

Mar. 17, 2016, 1:07 p.m.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on the Commerce Department and Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide detailed guidelines for federal agencies to comply with the Obama administration’s recent executive order on earthquake preparedness.

In a letter to the agencies, Feinstein also urged them to develop a plan to upgrade seismic-safety standards to encourage that buildings be designed for post-disaster occupancy.

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Mar. 17, 2016, 12:46 p.m.

California's 53-member House delegation voted along party lines Thursday on a resolution that allows Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to file an amicus brief on behalf of the entire House chamber opposing President Obama's immigration orders.

The resolution was approved by a 234-186 vote, with five Republicans voting against.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Friday in a case challenging President Obama’s immigration executive actions. A decision will probably come right before the court ends its current session in late June.